April 4th, 2009

North West Counties Division 3

The Atoms finished off their league campaign with a somewhat dissapointing performance against promotion seeking St Maries who have had an excellent second half to the season. 

Even without their talisman and scrum half Bobby Goulding, who has taken up the coaching duties of the French National side, the Widnes side had too much in their armoury for a lack-lustre Heysham team. 

As has been the norm this season the Atoms gave the opposition a head start and found themselves 12 points down in the first five minutes after an error-ridden opening.  The defensive pattern was all at sea with the line definatly not functioning as one unit and it looked as though the Widnes side were going to score at will. 

Fortunatly the Atoms side settled down and began to play somewhere near to how they prepared.  Mark Walker and Sean Weed single-handedly took it upon themselves to drag their team back into the game.  Their work rate was immense and never faultered throughout the remainder of the game.  The St.Maries side have a big experienced pack that like nothing better than to intimidate the opposition especially close to the rucks.  Although the Atoms had worked themselves back into the contest they were guilty of playing too much one out stuff which suited the St. Maries defenders. 

Once the tactics had been tweeked the Atoms looked a far more dangerous outfit now using wider runners and finding some gaps.  The Atoms were having some success down the right hand side as Sean Weed forced a goal line drop out and Martin Pike twice got over the line to be denied on both occassions. 

Success finally came on the thirty minute mark after Dave McVernon had made big inroads with an aggressive drive.  Neat hands along the backs just gave Billy Livingstone a glimpse of the line.  A combination of good footwork and accelleration into the gap, coupled with a big outstretched arm got him over the white-wash.  He converted to give his side hope now only trailing by 12 points to 6. 

With the Atoms just one score behind it would have been nice to go into the break at this point and re-group over half time but this wasn't to be as sloppy defending did for the Heysham side again.  An unconverted try wide out on the left gave a score of 16 points to 6 at the turn-around. 

Dan Scanlon and Neil Walker both retired injured from the contest allowing the experienced pair of Pete Livingstone and Andy Helme to enter the game.  Both impressed with the wind at their backs trying to push their side forward. 

A much improved 40 minutes ensued as the Atoms completion rate went through the roof so did the position on the field that they played the game.  Ben Dorrington became more of an attacking threat playing on the back of some great forward play from Shaw,Walker and Mcvernon.  Marrin at hooker began to take them on around the edges and the Atoms looked a different side one that could now compete. 

The Atoms were getting to the kicks on most sets now but just failed to judge the strength of the wind as the ball ran out of the back on a number of occassions when it would have been better suited to stay on the park.  The Atoms had a lot of possession close to the Widnes line but were unable to add to their score through some tough defending and some poor options taken. 

Widnes soaked up the pressure and played to their left hand attack were their left second row was in unstoppable form.  He was hard to knock over and always keeping the ball alive in the tackle.  He was heavily involved in both Widnes's second half tries as they forged ahead in the final quarter. 

Young Antony Livingstone came into the second row and looked a chip off the old block going straight into the thick of the action taking the ball up for his team.  With just the North Lancs Shield quarter-final against Leyland Warriors to play in two weeks time the Atoms will be hoping to finish the season on a positive note.

Heysham Atoms:Dorrington,Pike,Weed,Holmes, Harrison,N.Walker,B. Livingstone,McVernon,Marrin,C. Helme,Scanlon,Shaw,M.Walker( capt ) RES A.Helme,Winder,P.Livingstone, A.Livingstone